Two men jailed over school burglaries

Press, 31 May 1985, Page 11

Two men jailed over school burglaries

Two men convicted on 11 charges of breaking into schools, mainly in the Hornby area, last month, were each sent to prison for nine months by Judge Cadenhead in the District Court yesterday. From the burglaries property valued at $6034 was stolen by Danny Boy Love, aged 20, and Joseph Love, aged 19, both unemployed (Mr T. W. Fournier).

One of the schools was burgled three times, and two of them twice. Property taken included cash, clothing, food, tools, electrical items, and in one case, a pool table. Property, valued at $2451, was recovered at the defendants’ address. Damage to school properties amounted to $llOO.

The pair told the police they committed the burglaries because they found it difficult to live on the unemployment benefit. No order for compensation was made by the Judge. In addition to prison the defendants were each put on probation for 12 months. DOG THEFT Because he believed that a Doberman dog, he asserted he once owned, was to be taken to Auckland to participate in pit fights, Thomas Boy Hohapata stole it, said Sergeant W. J. McCormick. Hohapata, aged 29, a painter (Mr M. J. Knowles), admitted stealing the

Doberman, valued at $4OO, at Cambridge on January He was convicted and remanded on bail to June 13 for a probation report and sentence. Acting on information received, the police visited the defendant’s address on April 19, where the stolen dog was found. Hohapata told the police that he used to own the Doberman and had sold it to the present owner. The dog has been returned to its owner at Cambridge, said Sergeant McCormick. ROBBERY OFFENCE Michael David Stewart, aged 20, who admitted attempting to rob a woman of

a shoulder bag, later told the police he did so because he was “broke," said Sergeant McCormick. Stewart (Mr E. Bedo), was convicted and remanded to June 13 for a probation report and sentence. Sergeant McCormick said that at 11.30 a.m. on May 15 the defendant was walking home behind a woman. He ran alongside, grabbed the shoulder bag, and tried to pull it away. The woman, in resisting, fell to the ground and the defendant, still unable to free the bag, ran off. The woman suffered grazed knees and a sore chest, said Sergeant McCormick.